A pregnant Belgian woman diagnosed with the coronavirus has given birth to a healthy baby daughter — but must now learn to care for her newborn wearing, and sleeping with, a protective mask.

Baby Mahaut was born on April 23 in Brussels by caesarean section because of earlier complications not linked to the respiratory disease Covid-19, but which led to mother Amandine being tested, even though she showed no symptoms.

Wearing a blue medical mask lying in a hospital bed and holding her baby to her chest, Amandine said it had been hard to give birth alone.

“I was so afraid for her ... it was a very peculiar birth, I only saw her for two minutes,” Amandine said, explaining how she was then moved to a surgery unit in the hospital to reduce the risk of spreading the virus.

Read the full Reuters story here.